


Professionals at Work

by BlackWingBecci



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-14
Updated: 2014-12-14
Packaged: 2018-03-01 07:23:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2764673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackWingBecci/pseuds/BlackWingBecci
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Courfeyrac and Combeferre are professors at the same university. Courfeyrac takes too much pleasure in torturing her students and Combeferre is on her way to running the entire place, but they're both completely useless regarding feelings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Professionals at Work

**Author's Note:**

  * For [abp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/abp/gifts).



> Beta-ed by the wonderful Sav badlydressedbahorel

Courfeyrac hummed to herself as she left the lecture room among the students she had just been teaching. It had been an intense lecture and it was reflected in the groans and sighs lingering the conversations happening around her. It might make her sadistic, but she rather enjoyed watching them suffer. She didn’t even bother to hide the smirk on her face as one poor student stared down at his notes in horror. It didn’t matter, she was already known as the crazy lit professor who got too excited by eroticism in Dracula anyway, so why not play it up. (She’d take pity on them in a few days, explaining things in a kinder way in seminars and giving them a comprehensive list of secondary criticism, but for now she’d let them suffer. The first years needed a good scare to get them used to university life.)

On her way back to her office, she dropped by the café in the humanities building, picking up one latte and one earl grey tea. Then she took a detour to the philosophy department. Combeferre’s door was closed when Courfeyrac got to it, and she could just make out soft voices coming from inside. She hadn’t been expecting that. She knew Combeferre’s schedule just as well as she knew her own, and she knew there wasn’t a meeting or office hours, or anything else, so she didn’t know who Combeferre could be talking to.

She leant against the wall opposite the office door and pouted at it. She didn’t like it, not knowing what was happening, not knowing who Combeferre was taking to. Combeferre liked routine, and Courfeyrac found herself liking that routine second-handedly. She had come to rely on knowing Combeferre’s schedule, knowing what to expect. A bunch of third year students walked past her who she recognised. They had taken one of her modules last year. She smiled at them and they smiled back, their eyes darting between her and Combeferre’s office door. Their smiles grew wider when they had, and they hurried off whispering to each other excitedly. Strange behaviour, but Courfeyrac had long since given up on expecting students to behave ordinarily, so she just went back to pouting at the office door.

It was only a few minutes before the office door opened and Lamarque, the head of Humanities, came out. Courfeyrac was taken aback and gaped at her for a few moments before catching herself and nodding politely. Lamarque only smiled with amusement and nodded back, the laugh lines on her face deepening as her lips pulled up. Courfeyrac was in awe of this woman. She was fantastic, excelling in her field and still managing to run an entire department smoothly. Courfeyrac wanted to be her. Lamarque left her in the hall, walking away with her head held high and Courfeyrac watched her go. She felt like an idiot. She worked under the woman, and had meetings with her and spoken to her before, and yet seeing her so suddenly had left Courfeyrac acting like some kind of young teenager meeting their celebrity crush for the first time.

A cough pulled her attention away. Courfeyrac looked into the office and Combeferre was watching her with a smirk on her face. Courfeyrac stuck her tongue out at her, but she went into the office and handed her the earl grey tea with a smile on her face. Combeferre’s office was messy as usual, philosophy books piled high on every available surface, including one of three chairs in the room, and papers and pens lying everywhere. Courfeyrac’s own office wasn’t much different. She had different types of books, and had added her own flair to the office with posters from plays and films, but they were essentially the same.

Combeferre took a sip of her tea before putting it down on her desk and pushing her glasses up onto the top of her head so she could rub her eyes. She looked exhausted. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a messy bun rather than one of the neat styles she usually wore it in, her lips were twisted down in a frown and her grey eyes seemed dazed. Courfeyrac just wanted to hug her. So she did. Combeferre froze in her arms at first, but then she laughed and relaxed into the hug, winding her own arms around Courfeyrac’s waist. She let out a content noise and things felt right to Courfeyrac.

Courfeyrac pulled back a little to look at Combeferre. “Yep, I much prefer it when you look happy.” Combeferre smile grew at the words, so Courfeyrac kept going. “Especially with that pretty face of yours.” She winked. Combeferre rolled her eyes but kept on smiling.

They pulled apart then, Combeferre returning to her office chair and taking a long drink of the now cooler tea. Courfeyrac watched her, paying way too much attention to her throat as she swallowed. She caught herself as Combeferre finished drinking and sat down on the other spare chair, taking a drink of her own latte. She flirted with Combeferre openly, but she didn’t want to get caught staring that unabashedly at her friend. Not without Combeferre’s approval. There wasn’t much left in the cup, Courfeyrac preferred to drink it when it was hot and had nearly finished it off when she was waiting in the hall. So she finished what was left and then threw the take-away cup into the bin just visible under Combeferre’s desk.

“How’d your lecture go?” Combeferre asked. She even sounded tired, but pleased as well, so Courfeyrac wasn’t too worried. “Did you manage to sufficiently terrify the first years?” Courfeyrac had to laugh at that. Combeferre knew her so well. They had been teaching together at the same university for two years, but Courfeyrac was still impressed.

“I think so. Threw in a bit of a spiel about the Dracula pornos to emphasise the eroticism this time round. Some girl at the back looked about ready to faint.”

“Well I am glad she only looked ready to faint.” Combeferre smiled warmly at her, and Courfeyrac’s heart felt like it grew three sizes in her chest.

It was ridiculous, how much she felt for Combeferre. How much her warm smiles and gentle looks and comforting hands could make Courfeyrac feel happy and light and free. Of course, Courfeyrac was an idiot and didn’t act on any of this. She flirted, and Combeferre flirted back, but they hadn’t done anything else yet. She was pretty sure Combeferre was just as interested as well, with the flirting back and the way she looked at her, but making a move had never felt right before. Not once in the past year when Courfeyrac first realised the feelings she had were more than just friendship. There was no hurry though. What they had now was lovely and fantastic anyway, and Courfeyrac was happy with that. Though she wouldn’t complain if things did change a little and there was more kissing involved.

“What did Lamarque want?” It wasn’t unusual for the head of department to come to their offices to talk to them, she tried to keep things informal rather than calling people to her office. But she did usually give sufficient warning, and if that had happened Courfeyrac would have heard about the meeting from Combeferre a few days ago. Courfeyrac had no idea what could be going on, but she desperately wanted to know.

“She just dropped by on her way back from a meeting with other department heads, and apparently I’m the frontrunner for taking over as head of philosophy when Smithson retires after this year.” Combeferre tried to keep her voice calm, but the excitement she was feeling was clear. Courfeyrac let out a squeal of delight and dived forward to hug her again. This was the best decision the department heads had made all year – after the mess that was the new tutoring system and the complete fuck up that making Jehan head of creative writing had been. But Combeferre would be a fantastic department head, she had practically been doing the job this year with Smithson preparing for retirement anyway. She deserved it.

“You would rock being head of philosophy.” Courfeyrac said into Combeferre’s neck, needing to make sure she understood the faith Courfeyrac had in her. She was generally self-confident, but like everybody, even Combeferre had her insecurities. And her ability as a philosophy lecturer was one of them. She had told Courfeyrac how she had been torn between philosophy and medicine when she herself went to university, wanting to study philosophy that little more but filled with doubts over the usefulness of the subject and her employment opportunities once she was done. She had eventually chosen philosophy, but the worry and doubt had stayed with her. Courfeyrac didn’t like seeing it. Because Combeferre was fantastic so Courfeyrac was happy to do everything she could to ease any worries and doubts and make her see her own brilliance.

“I want it, Courfeyrac.” Combeferre whispered, her grip on the back of Courfeyrac’s shirt tightening. “I really want it.” The desire and hope in her voice wasn’t something Courfeyrac was used to hearing. Combeferre was always first in line to help her friends, but she hardly talked about what she wanted herself, even to her closest friends. This job meant a lot then, if she was clearly stating how much she wanted it.

“They’d be idiots not to give it to you.” Courfeyrac wished she could promise Combeferre would get it, wished there was something she could do to make sure Combeferre got it. She hated being useless. But at least she could try reassure Combeferre. At least she could comfort her.

The office door opened behind them and Combeferre sucked in a breath and quickly pulled back from Courfeyrac. Courfeyrac was more reluctant to pull away, but she did because it was clearly what Combeferre wanted. She sat back in her own seat and looked round to glare at Bahorel, who was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed and smirking at them. She could just make out Feuilly and Jehan stood behind him. Feuilly shoved bahorel further aside and poked her head round the door to see them both, obviously just as amused but at least trying to hide it a little.

“We were just coming to see if you two were coming for dinner with us?” Feuilly asked, while Bahorel carried on smirking behind her. It was regular thing, done every Friday evening after lectures were done with for everyone. A group of them – lecturers and administrative staff – went out for a dinner at the Corinthe, this awesome bar and restaurant place in town.

“Yeah, I’ll just go grab my stuff.” Courfeyrac stood and pushed her way past the amused idiots stood in the doorway. Jehan followed her, leaving Feuilly and Bahorel behind to annoy Combeferre as she got ready to go and finished her lukewarm tea.

They walked in comfortable silence down the hallway, up the stairs at the end of the humanities building, and down another hallway to the where the lit offices were. Jehan let Courfeyrac have a moment of peace while she packed her bag, despite how desperate he seemed to be to say something. And Courfeyrac was sure she could guess what that thing was going to be. But the second she was ready and shrugging her coat on, he gave in.

“So, you and Combeferre-“

“Are friends and colleagues.” Courfeyrac interrupted easily. Her and Combeferre’s relationship was a common talking point for their friends. They probably thought about it just as much as Combeferre did, but they seemed to think they knew more about what was going on than Combeferre did. Every few days someone would be asking about any recent developments or sharing their theories about where the relationship was going. Courfeyrac had no idea where her relationship with Combeferre was going, or even where it was.

“But, that hug-“

“Was a hug that I would give any one of you losers as well.” Jehan pouted, his eyes sad. In any other situation Courfeyrac would feel bad, but she didn’t now.

“Fine, I’ll stop.” Jehan said eventually, throwing his hands in the air in an over exaggerated gesture.

“Oh how I wish you would.” Courfeyrac said wistfully, staring out of the window dramatically. Jehan laughed behind her and thankfully did let the subject drop.

Courfeyrac picked up her bag and grabbed her keys, locking the office door shut behind her as Jehan recited a new poem he was working on. The poem was long enough that it took them the rest of the walk through the building and out the front doors, where everybody else was waiting for them. Combeferre smiled when she saw them coming, hanging back as the others set off to link walk beside Courfeyrac. Jehan shot them a look over his shoulder as he fell in beside Bahorel and Courfeyrac glared at him.

“Is that a new coat?” Combeferre asked. Courfeyrac nodded, turning her attention back to her. Her nose was already pink from the cold and the blue scarf wrapped around her neck made her eyes shine. She looked gorgeous. “I like it, very dashing.” Combeferre ran her hand down Courfeyrac’s arm gently, leaving behind a tingling sensation on Courfeyrac’s arm even through the jacket and shirt between their skin. Then Combeferre smiled and sped up to catch up with the rest of the group.

Courfeyrac was left frozen to the spot behind them, her arm tingling and warm and her heart threatening to break her ribcage open. Enjolras turned around and shouted for her to catch up, and Courfeyrac shook her head and did just that. You’d think she’d get used to being touched by Combeferre after two years, but she really wasn’t.

“Your scarf is nice.” Courfeyrac said over Combeferre’s shoulder when she caught up with the group. Combeferre turned to look back at her, her grey eyes shining and her lips pulling up into a smile. “It’s a good colour, it makes your eyes pop.” Combeferre opened her mouth to respond, but they had the reached their destination and they were pulled apart.

The Corinthe was warm and alive, people milling about inside and the heating on a comfortable level. They headed to the back of the room and to their usual table, taking off their coats and hats and gloves and scarves now they had other protection from the cold outside. They ordered drinks and food and caught up with each other after a busy week. They were joined later in the night by Grantaire and Musichetta, joint owners of the Corinthe and partners with Enjolras and Joly and Bossuet respectively. It was a good night, and Courfeyrac went to bed feeling content and happy, sleeping well and dreaming of Combeferre.

-

Courfeyrac hated Tuesdays. She didn’t mind them before, and she would probably like them again in a few months when this semester was over, but right now she hated them. She had lectured from nine till twelve, one hour for lunch, office hours from one till two, and then seminars for the rest of the day until six. It was tiring and awful and Courfeyrac hated Tuesdays.

By the end of the day she was ready to drop. She just wanted to lay down on one of the tables in the seminar room her last seminar was in and fall asleep there, but she dragged herself out of the room and back to her office. She did mentally kick herself for deciding to wear her kick-ass boots though – they were gorgeous and really made her outfit, but after nine hours her feet were killing. Thankfully, she had a spare pair of pumps in her office for just this occasion.

When she reached her office, she was scared for a second, seeing her door open and hearing her voices from inside. But then her fed-up brain finally processed the voices and she relaxed. It was just Combeferre, Marius and Enjolras. She went into her office and they all greeted her pleasantly, but Courfeyrac just glared at them. Enjolras was draped in her office chair, his feet up on the desk and playing with Courfeyrac’s ball of elastic bands. Marius was stood in the corner, running his hand along the books stacked on Courfeyrac’s shelves as he read the titles despite how many times he had been in the office previously. Combeferre was in the only other chair in Courfeyrac’s office (yes, she only had two to her three) and was reading through some of the practice essays Courfeyrac had taken in this morning to mark.

“Can I help you lot?” She asked, dropping her bag and another set of essays on the desk as near to Enjolras feet as she could. Enjolras pulled his feet back, sitting up in the chair, and Courfeyrac leant against the desk.

“I came here to wait for you, see as we’re going back together.” Marius piped up from his corner, smiling openly. Courfeyrac and he regularly came in to the university together and left together, seen as they lived together in a house not far from the campus. Their salaries weren’t too bad, they could probably have their own houses if they wanted them, but neither of them wanted to live alone so they were happy to live together for now.

“And you two?” Courfeyrac asked Enjolras and Combeferre, not particularly happy with the way they were smiling at each other secretively. Courfeyrac wasn’t jealous of them two, she really wasn’t. They had known each other for years and years, so there would always be something between the two of them that Courfeyrac couldn’t quite grab a hold of. That didn’t stop her from trying though. They were two of her closest friends, and she would always be upset if she didn’t know them as well as she could. But she wasn’t spiteful, she was glad they had that with each other, and they never left her out. And it was okay, because Courfeyrac kind of had that with Marius anyway. (She was a little jealous though.)

“I was picking up a form from Lamarque so we thought we’d pop by and say hi.” Combeferre answered. Then she looked back to Enjolras and they shared a small smile. They clearly weren’t going to give anymore explanation than just that, so Courfeyrac shrugged and let it go. She was curious, she wanted to know what was going on, but she could wait for now. Because she would find out eventually. No one can keep secrets in this department.

And she didn’t really need to ask when Marius was around. “What type of form?” He asked excitedly, leaving the book of poetry he had been examining behind and moving closer to the other three. Combeferre hesitated for a second, glancing at Enjolras and then at her bag where the form presumably sat waiting for her to fill it in once she got home.

“A relationship declaration form.” Combeferre answered carefully. Courfeyrac didn’t process the words at first, just nodding along as she would to any answer, and then it hit her. A relationship declaration form. To declare a relationship. That Combeferre was in. Oh fuck.

The university had a fairly open policy on dating other members of staff at the university, even for supervisors and the people working under them. All you had to do was fill in a relationship declaration form so that the university knew you were dating and so that the university could avoid any complaints of sexual harassment or the like. It was a policy that worked really well. And it Combeferre was filling in the form then that meant she was taking advantage of that policy. Because she was dating someone else who worked in the university. Probably in the department.

Courfeyrac felt sick. She had feelings for Combeferre, she wanted to be in a relationship with her. And she had a chance before. They had been flirting since Courfeyrac got the job here two years ago, and Courfeyrac realised she had proper feelings for Combeferre a year ago. A whole year wasted because it never felt like the right time to act on her feelings. That had been a mistake. Because now it was too late. Combeferre had met someone else in the time Courfeyrac had been messing around. Any feelings she might have for Courfeyrac in return – and Courfeyrac was sure there were feelings in return – clearly weren’t worth the waiting and the unsurety. So she had moved on, and was now in a relationship with someone else.

“Oh, wow.” Marius said brightly. He smiled widely from Combeferre to Courfeyrac and it was clear he was thinking the relationship Combeferre wanted to declare as between them. Oh, how Courfeyrac wished it was. But it wasn’t. And she didn’t want to have to face the rejection right now, so she needed to stop Marius.

“Well, I’m exhausted after this day.” She announced quickly, cutting off anything else Marius was going to say. She was really proud by how strong and pleasant her voice came out, when inside it felt like the words were burning her heavy tongue. “How about we get going?” She started shoving things in her bag, desperate to not have to make eye contact with any of them, especially not Combeferre. If she did, Courfeyrac was sure she would break down.

It only took a few minutes for her to have everything together, and then she was herding everyone out of her office and locking the door and storming off out of the building, Marius running to keep up with her. It was only when they got to the car park that she realised she was still wearing the kick-ass boots and her feet were screaming in pain. That was a small sacrifice to pay though to get out of the situation in that room. She kicked the boots of once she got in the car, throwing them into the back seat as Marius clambered in the passenger side. She was upset and angry and only felt a little guilty for taking it out on the car and the road and any poor person who got in her way during the drive.

At home, Courfeyrac curled up in her duvet with chocolate ice cream kept in the back of the freezer for just these circumstances and watching the worst shows she could find on TV. She had planned on getting a head start on marking tonight, but she didn’t want to take it out on her poor students. So she left it all in her bag in the corner of the front room and curled up on the couch, forgetting it was all there for the night. Eventually, Marius came and joined her with pizza and they spent the rest of the night there watching films.

“I’m sorry.” Marius said quietly when it was fully dark outside and Courfeyrac was trying to find another film on Netflix. He had realised the actual situation not long after they had gotten home, realising his mistaken assumption in Courfeyrac’s office. Courfeyrac appreciated the sentiment, but it nothing to comfort her really.

“I thought it would be the two of you eventually.” Marius kept talking. Courfeyrac agreed, she had thought it would be the two of them eventually as well. That was her biggest mistake, taking Combeferre for granted. “I mean, with the way you two flirt with each other. And like the students all think you’re dating as well.”

Well, at least that explained the weird looks and giggles she got from students occasionally, like those third years the previous week when Courfeyrac had been waiting for Combeferre to finish with Lamarque. The thought did make Courfeyrac smile a little though. The idea of the students they taught seeing her and Combeferre together and thinking they were together was nice. But it was also a bitter now as well. If she had learnt it just yesterday she would have laughed and shared it with everyone, including Combeferre. Now though, Courfeyrac knew there was a chance that it would never happen. Because the person Combeferre was dating could be perfect for her, they could fall madly in love and be together for the rest of their lives. And that meant Courfeyrac would never be with her. That hurt.

Courfeyrac only cried when she curled up into bed that night. She was as quiet as she could be, not wanting to disturb Marius, because he had comforted her a lot tonight anyway. Of course, he knew anyway and crawled into bed with her, wrapping an arm around and pressing his chest against her back. She felt guilty, but grabbed his arm tightly and ended sobbing herself to sleep, leaving her eyes stinging and her throat raw.

-

“Congratulations Combeferre!” Lamarque said loudly and raised her glass of champagne. Everyone in the room echoed her words and raised their own glasses as well. Courfeyrac felt a swell of pride as she watched Combeferre in the middle of the room, blushing slightly with all the praise being thrown at her but smiling proudly.

It was the official celebration party for Combeferre getting the job of head of philosophy for next year when Smithson retires. Courfeyrac knew she would get the job. She was the most qualified and the best candidate in the philosophy department. Everyone knew it, and Courfeyrac was so glad that Lamarque and the other heads of department knew it to. As soon as the toast was over, everybody was surging forward to congratulate Combeferre personally, so Courfeyrac took a step back.

She hadn’t so much been avoiding Combeferre lately, except she kind of had. The last two weeks had been awful for her, having to force herself to stay away from Combeferre and not being able to spend time with her when she was used to spending so much time with her. And it didn’t help that Combeferre obviously wanted to speak to her, trying to pull her aside or catch her alone. But Courfeyrac had avoided being alone with her completely. Because she’s a coward. She didn’t want to. Courfeyrac didn’t want to be that girl – the jealous, bitter one who let her friendship get ruined – but alas she was starting to become it. It was hard though, to see Combeferre, to talk to her, to hang out with her, knowing that she had no chance with her anymore. Knowing that Combeferre was happy with someone who wasn’t Courfeyrac.

“Hey.” Enjolras said gently, coming to stand beside Courfeyrac. The people in their group were all hanging back a bit, letting Combeferre enjoy the time being the centre of attention and being praised by the rest of the department. They had their own celebration a week ago when Combeferre had been told she had actually gotten the job, just their little group in Enjolras and Grantaire’s house because it was the biggest. “I haven’t seen you much lately.” Courfeyrac felt a little guilty about that. In her avoidance of Combeferre, she had also ended up avoiding Enjolras a bit as well. That had been unintentional, but Combeferre and Enjolras were best friends so it had happened.

“I’m sorry, I’ve just needed to be with myself for a bit.” It wasn’t really an explanation, but it was enough for Enjolras. In fact it was even more than enough for Enjolras. He was the never the type of push, he understood people might not want to share everything, believed that no one had to share anything they didn’t want to. He just nodded and laid a comforting hand on Courfeyrac’s shoulder.

“I’m not going to push you for any more information, because you have every right to not want to share.” Enjolras paused, looking to the middle of the room where Combeferre was talking to a group of people. “But, if whatever it is has something to do with Combeferre, then I highly suggest you talk to her soon, before anything gets any worse.” He looked at Courfeyrac meaningfully with a soft smile, before walking back to where Bossuet was raiding the buffet and Joly was hiding in the corner. They snuck him, because technically he wasn’t a part of the humanities department and this party was exclusively for them, but he was close to a lot of members, including Combeferre, so everybody was turning a blind eye.

Courfeyrac thought about what Enjolras had said. Talking to Combeferre could be beneficial. To clear the air, to set things straight, to let them both move on and still be friends. But it was a scary thought. Courfeyrac was still hurting, that was part of the reason why she was avoiding Combeferre, knowing that interacting with her would just make it hurt even more. Talking to her could be beneficial, but it would also hurt. It was a hard decision. And in the end what made it for Courfeyrac was Enjolras. He had told her to talk to Combeferre and Courfeyrac trusted him, so even if it hurt she would go and do it. Maybe the closure would make things better.

Courfeyrac did wait a while though. She waited until the crowd had let Combeferre go to enjoy her own party. She waited until Combeferre had gotten something to eat and then spoken to Enjolras and Jehan and Feuilly and everyone else. Then Courfeyrac finally gave herself the kick up the arse she needed and went over to her. Combeferre saw her coming across the room, and at first there was a curious frown on her face that made her lips just look so kissable, but then when she realised Courfeyrac was heading for her, her face filled with joy. Courfeyrac liked seeing that joy on her face, but she also felt guilty for the avoidance if Combeferre seemed so taken aback that Courfeyrac was actually going to approach her.

“Hi.” Combeferre said warmly when Courfeyrac was in hearing distance. Courfeyrac grabbed a drink from the drink table as she passed – she’d probably need it – and stopped next to Combeferre. She looked amazing, wearing a floor length blue dress the same shade as the scarf she had been wearing recently. Her eyes were sparkling and popping and Courfeyrac was sure she could easily get lost in them.

“Hey.” Courfeyrac replied, trying to keep her eyes from looking Combeferre up and down for a second time even though she wanted to. Once was appreciative, twice would be creepy. Especially since Combeferre was in a relationship with someone else now. “Congratulations.” It was a weak conversation starter, but Courfeyrac couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Thank you.” Combeferre looked really pleased anyway, and she shuffled closer half a step. “I-“ She hesitated and looked down for a second, before looking back up with more determination and desire on her face. “Do you want to come outside with me for a bit?”

Courfeyrac was confused by the question, but nodded anyway. She would agree to anything really right now to make up for the avoidance from the past two weeks, and they would be alone outside so could actually talk. The party was being held in a hall in the university, but in a different building than the humanities building so Courfeyrac took a moment to appreciate the trees and grass and the flowers that this building had outside it. (It was starkly different to the drab concrete outside their building that Courfeyrac was used to.)

Combeferre led them to a bench. She sat down and looked up to the night sky, smiling at the stars shining above them. She liked stars. Courfeyrac knew that from the two years she had known her. When she was younger, Combeferre had taught herself the names of every constellation visibly in the night sky. And of course, Courfeyrac had tested it one rainy day when they had hid out in Combeferre’s house, both wearing her clothes as theirs’ dried on radiators. It was a memory Courfeyrac treasured. Before it had been one of the reasons why she liked Combeferre, and one of the reasons why she was sure Combeferre liked her as well. But now as she thought about it, it was a reason why she wanted to make their friendship work. Because Courfeyrac at least wanted that with Combeferre.

“Here.” Combeferre said suddenly, snapping Courfeyrac out of her thoughts. She sat down beside Combeferre on the bench after making sure it wasn’t still wet from the rain earlier in the day. (Her suit trousers would thank her lately.) Combeferre was looking through her bag, and Courfeyrac was left watching her for a few moments until she pulled out a folded piece of paper. Courfeyrac was intrigued about what was happening, and curious about what the paper was. She was fine letting Combeferre control the conversation for now, letting her say what she wanted to say first before Courfeyrac apologised for her behaviour and asked about Combeferre’s relationship.

Courfeyrac was handed the paper and Combeferre watched her with an expectant look, biting her bottom lip slightly. She was anxious, excited, and maybe a little worried. Courfeyrac definitely wanted to know what was on this piece of paper. She opened it up, realising it as actually two pieces of paper stapled together, and glanced over the first page.

It was a relationship declaration form. Combeferre’s relationship declaration form, because that was definitely her signature at the bottom. Why was she showing Courfeyrac this? Was she looking for approval of her relationship? It was understandable if she was, Courfeyrac was one of her closest friends, and if Courfeyrac was seeing someone she would want her closest friends to be okay with it. Or to at least understand it. Maybe that was why Combeferre had tried to speak to her recently, with her face filled with hope, looking for Courfeyrac to know who she was dating and be okay with it. And Courfeyrac avoiding her had stopped her from being able to do that.

She took a deep breath and looked closer at the rest of the form. She would see the other person’s name on it surely. Did Courfeyrac know them? Was it one of her friends? There was a part of her that was scared to find out, because then it would everything even more real. But a bigger part of her wanted to ignore that, wanted to brave and a good friend because that was what Combeferre deserved. So she skimmed over most of the form – all the legal bullshit – and focused on the second name at the bottom of the form. Which just so happened to be hers.

Courfeyrac stared at her name, written in Combeferre’s handwriting, until the form started to crumple in her tight grip. She looked up at Combeferre, still biting her lip and looking at Courfeyrac with worry and hope, and then she looked back down at the paper.

“That’s my name.” She whispered.

“Yeah, I didn’t want to just assume, but I haven’t been able to speak to you alone these past few weeks and Grantaire said this would be romantic.” Everything came out in a rush, Combeferre’s hands coming up and hanging between them, as thought to create a shield from any rebuttal or anger Courfeyrac could have. Then she took a deep breath and spoke calmer. “I really like you, Courfeyrac. I think I always have, from the first time I met you at that department party and your first words to me were ‘please tell me there’s chocolate cake left’. Although I don’t think I really realise it until you got that haircut last spring I couldn’t stop staring at you all day.”

Courfeyrac remembered the day. She had gotten the black curls that fell to her mid back lopped off in the morning and opted for a pixie cut instead. It was completely spur of the moment because Courfeyrac had fancied a change. And then Combeferre had spent the rest of the day staring at her and Courfeyrac had worried she didn’t like it. It had been a small worry, because it was her hair and she loved it. But Courfeyrac still didn’t want Combeferre to not like it. It had been in the end though, because as they were saying goodbye Combeferre complimented it with that genuine smile of hers and Courfeyrac’s heart had swelled with pride and joy. It was the same feeling that was happening now when she thought about what else Combeferre had told her.

There wasn’t another person. Combeferre wasn’t in a relationship. Combeferre wanted to be in a relationship. With Courfeyrac. She had gotten the form because she was planning on making a move with Courfeyrac. With hope and desire. With an element of surety. And that made Courfeyrac feel even warmer inside, made her heart race, because Combeferre knew she liked her too. Combeferre had faith that Courfeyrac would want a relationship as well.

“You like me?” She asked, feeling the wide smile spread her lips. She didn’t need it saying again, but she wanted to hear it. It was all she wanted to hear for the indefinite future.

“Yes, I like you. I want to be with you.” Combeferre smiled back at her, the worry nowhere to be seen now, and the hope very quickly changing into joy. “Do you want to be with me?”

“Hell yes!” Courfeyrac practically shouted, and she lunged forward to throw her arms around Combeferre’s neck and press their lips together. The form flew off somewhere when Courfeyrac let go of it in favour of tangling her hands in Combeferre’s hair. She was definitely messing it up, and it would probably be awkward when they had to return to the party, but Courfeyrac would be a little proud that she did it. So she buried her fingers deeper.

“I can’t believe we waited two years to do that.” She said once they had parted. Well, once their lips had parted. Courfeyrac was letting go of Combeferre any time soon.

“Yeah, that was a mistake.” Combeferre agreed, a small little smirk on her face that Courfeyrac had never seen before but had a feeling she was going to love. “Guess we’ll just have to make up for it then.”


End file.
